Here are highlights from Kentucky Corn and Kentucky Small Grains recent actions in the battle for input cost relief at the state, national, and international level:
- The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) sounded the alarm early about the harmful impact that high input costs are having on farmers’ profitability.
- In August 2025, NCGA published a series of reports examining the high cost of corn production and pricing trends across various agricultural input sectors.
- In September 2025, NCGA announced the formation of a Task Force to examine input costs and market dynamics, of which KY Corn members are a part.
- Since the Task Force’s formation and the many Ag Organization efforts; policymakers, regulators, and industry partners have taken notice:
- NCGA has endorsed Senator Grassley’s Fertilizer Research Act, which would result in greater USDA reporting and transparency related to fertilizer market dynamics and prices.
- The Trump Administration announced that it would reduce tariffs on important fertilizer imports.
- The Department of the Interior added phosphate and potash to the critical minerals list.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on “Competition issues in the seed and fertilizer industries”.
- USDA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to strengthen competition for agricultural inputs.
- NCGA worked with House Members on improving a draft letter to USDA and DOJ regarding the inputs and highlighting the role of antitrust enforcement.
- An industry letter was sent to the Department of Commerce opposing phosphate duties that will be filed in the sunset review process.
- NCGA worked with congressional leaders to send a letter to the International Trade Commission asking them to revoke the phosphate countervailing duties.
- NCGA and NAWG signed onto a letter with 6 other national organizations and 56 state organizations to Mosaic and Simplot asking them to renounce their support of the duties on phosphate from Morocco.
- Moving forward, NCGA’s Input Cost Task Force will continue to evaluate the economics of input supply chains and markets. The Task Force will also explore policy and regulatory solutions to increase supply and competition in input markets.
- NCGA discussed economic implications in a deep dive on sky-high input costs in this CobCast episode.
- The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) recently published a report on the harmful effect of phosphate countervailing duties on farmers, drawing attention to the burden of fertilizer input costs.
- Rep. Dusty Johnson and Rep. Angie Craig unveiled a bill to create a mandatory fertilizer price reporting system.
- Kentucky farmers spoke up for our fertilizer reality at a Northern Texas event with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), where the FTC announced an official investigation into fertilizer pricing and market concentration, after continued advocacy from KY Corn.